Best Time to Visit Okavango Delta (Climate Chart and Table)

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On this page, you will find information about the climate and the best time to visit Okavango Delta. We created climate tables and charts for the location of Okavango Delta. These contain details about temperatures, precipitation and more.

Furthermore, we analyzed all climate data and provide a recommendation about which months are best to visit Okavango Delta for your holiday.

Climate Overview

7 °C to 36 °C

0.16 – 4.02 in

Show temperatures in degree

Background knowledge and geographical location

Table of Contents

1. Background knowledge and geographical location

2. Climate in the Okavango Delta

3. Best Time to Travel for Okavango Delta: Overview

4. When is the best time for safaris in the Okavango Delta?

5. Climate Chart Okavango Delta

6. Climate Table Okavango Delta

7. Current Weather and Forecast

8. Botswana: Regions

9. Experiences of our Visitors

10. Share your Experience and Win

The Okavango Delta in northwestern Botswana is a gigantic labyrinth of canals, islands and foothills of the Okavango River. The inland delta seeps into the basin of the otherwise very dry Kalahari, making it one of the best safari areas on earth.

Due to its size and its importance for the flora and fauna of an entire region, the ecosystem was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014.

Botswana travel guides also like to talk about the”river that never finds its way into the sea”. But it is precisely this peculiarity that makes the delta so extraordinary and diverse. Besides the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, the Okavango Delta in northwestern Botswana has the highest density of wildlife on the entire African continent.

Most of the trips to the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park start in the city of Maun, which has its own airport and is connected to major African cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Windhoek and Gaborone several times a day.

The popular Moremi Game Reserve is also only 62 miles from Maun.

Climate in the Okavango Delta

In the region around Maun and the Okavango Delta the climate is subtropical-continental. Basically the seasons in Botswana are exactly opposite to our European ones, but with some restrictions and preparation the Okavango Delta is worth a trip all year round. The rainy season in the delta begins around the end of November and lasts until April, with heavy rainfall in some cases.

However, it is a fallacy to believe that the Okavango Delta is flooded immediately with the onset of the rainy season. Rather, the delta is fed by the river of the same name, which rises as the “Cubango” in the highlands of Angola and runs through a part of Namibia as well. It usually takes until the beginning or even mid-July before the Okavango Delta reaches its peak.

The dry season between the end of April and October cools off a bit, the day temperatures in June and July are around 26 °C. At night, temperatures between 4 °C to 8 °C are not uncommon in the African winter. Especially during the safari game drives in the early morning and after sunset the air can get very cold and sometimes unpleasant.

Towards the end of the calendar year, the entire landscape changes drastically again. 34 °C to 35 °C with high humidity, occasional thunderstorms and short but heavy rain showers are no longer an absolute exception from December. The vegetation sprouts now also outside the delta and also in Chobe National Park and the Moremi Reserve the grasses are now high and the thicket very dense.

Beach Vacation in February

Ko Samui

28 °C

30 °C

1.3 in

Maldives

27 °C

30 °C

1.97 in

Punta Cana

26 °C

28 °C

2.13 in

Jamaica

26 °C

28 °C

2.52 in

Curaçao

25 °C

29 °C

1.1 in

Oman

25 °C

28 °C

0.63 in

Dubai

21 °C

25 °C

1.42 in

Diani Beach

29 °C

33 °C

0.51 in

Zanzibar

29 °C

32 °C

2.2 in

Thailand

28 °C

33 °C

1.02 in

Cuba

27 °C

28 °C

1.34 in

Best Time to Visit Okavango Delta: Overview

JanuaryJan Rainy SeasonRainy Season many paths muddy, sightings difficultSafaris possibly with limitations	FebruaryFeb Rainy SeasonRainy Season many paths muddy, sightings difficultSafaris possibly with limitations	MarchMar Rainy SeasonRainy Season many paths muddy, sightings difficultSafaris possibly with limitations	AprilApr suitable time to travelsuitable time dense vegetation, hence sightings difficultSafaris difficult because of dense vegetation	MayMay Good time to traveltime chilly nightschilly nights	JuneJun Best time to traveltime perfect, but cool nightsperfect, but cool nights
JulyJul Best time to traveltime perfect, but cool nightsperfect, but cool nights	AugustAug Best time to traveltime perfect, but chilly nightsperfect, but chilly nights	SeptemberSep Best time to traveltime perfect conditionsPerfect climate in Okavango Delta	OctoberOct Good time to traveltime End of Dry SeasonEnd of Dry Season	NovemberNov Rainy SeasonRainy Season many paths muddy, sightings difficultSafaris possibly with limitations	DecemberDec Rainy SeasonRainy Season many paths muddy, sightings difficultSafaris possibly with limitations

When is the best time for safaris in the Okavango Delta?

We generally recommend the drier months of July, August and September as the best time to travel to the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park. As the surrounding regions are now very dry, the animals often gather together at the remaining water points and wetlands of the delta. In addition, the land areas in the delta are also becoming smaller and smaller, leaving the animals with fewer opportunities to retreat.

The transitional months between the dry season and the rainy season are also highly recommended as a travel season. Generally there are good conditions for your unforgettable safari from May to October. During the rainy season, however, many lodges in the Okavango Delta are closed, some places can now only be reached by boat or seaplane anyway.

Although the animals now have more protection due to the dense vegetation and the weather is a little unpredictable, we do not want to advise against a Botswana trip during the rainy season. Many “repeaters” even particularly appreciate this time with its unique charm. Chobe National Park is less dependent on the rainy season and therefore well suited for safaris all year round.

Here we would also describe the travel season from July to September as ideal for wildlife observation. The Moremi Game Reserve is sometimes difficult to navigate in the first half of the calendar year, some bridges are closed or difficult to access until July. Nevertheless, the reserve, like Chobe, is generally open to visitors all year round. If you are planning a combined trip with a visit to the Victoria Falls, please note our climate information for this region.

Climate Chart Okavango Delta

Show temperatures in degree

Source of Data: German Weather Service (Offenbach) and Wikipedia

Climate Table Okavango Delta

In the following, you will find the climate table for Okavango Delta, containing information about Temperatures, Precipitation, and Hours of Sunshine.

Temperatures, Precipitation, Sunshine

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Day Temperature	33°	33°	33°	32°	29°	27°	26°	28°	34°	36°	35°	34°
Night Temperature	18°	20°	17°	15°	11°	7°	7°	10°	14°	18°	19°	19°
Precipitation (inch)	4.02	3.58	1.73	0.71	0.31	0.24	0.16	0.2	0.28	0.63	1.85	2.68
Hours of Sunshine	8	9	8	9	10	10	10	11	12	11	10	10

Show temperatures in degree

Temperatures

The annual average temperature is 23.1 °C.

For comparison: London 11 °C, NYC 12 °C, LA 17.9 °C

Warmest month: October (27 °C)
Coldest month: July (16.5 °C)

Precipitation

Overall annual precipitation: 16.38 inch

For comparison: London 24.06 in, NYC 41.57 in, LA 12.01 in

There is no rainy season (months with more than 6.9 in of precipitation).

You cannot expect snow in any month.

Sunshine

As our climate table shows, September is the sunniest month with an average of 12 hours of sunshine per day. Over the year, there are 9.8 hours of sunshine per day on average. For comparison: London has 4.1, NYC has 7 and LA has 8.9 hours of sunshine per day on average.

Current Weather and Forecast

Current Weather in Okavango Delta (Station North-West District)

overcast clouds, 25.7 °C

Clouds: 100 % Wind: 6 mph NNO
Air Pressure: 1005 hPa Humidity: 54 %

Last updated: 7th Feb 2023, 05:52 pm

The next days …

8th Feb 2023	9th Feb 2023	10th Feb 2023	11th Feb 2023	12th Feb 2023	13th Feb 2023
20 °C to 31 °C	19 °C to 30 °C	19 °C to 32 °C	21 °C to 34 °C	21 °C to 36 °C	22 °C to 36 °C
20 °C to 31 °C	19 °C to 30 °C	19 °C to 32 °C	21 °C to 34 °C	21 °C to 36 °C	22 °C to 36 °C
Clouds: 83 %	Clouds: 81 %	Clouds: 11 %	Clouds: 8 %	Clouds: 47 %	Clouds: 32 %
0.13 in of rain	0.51 in of rain	0.29 in of rain	No Precipitation	No Precipitation	No Precipitation

Weather information provided by OpenWeatherMap. (CC BY-SA)

Show temperatures in degree

Botswana: Regions

Okavango Delta is part of the holiday destination Botswana. We analyzed the climate for additional regions, in order to provide you with information about the best time to visit and the expected holiday weather:

Botswana |

Best Time to Travel for the Regions

Okavango Delta: May, June, July, August, September, and October

Hottest Month

October: 36 °C
Day Temperature

Coldest Month

June: 7 °C
Night Temperature

Rainiest Month

January: 4.02 in
Rain

Driest Month

July: 0.16 in
Rain

Sunniest Month

September: 12 hours/day
Sunshine

Distances to Okavango Delta

	London	New York	Los Angeles
Okavango Delta	5110 mi	7450 mi	9870 mi

Where’s Okavango Delta?

Show Okavango Delta on Map

Continent: Africa

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Okavango Delta: Experiences of our Visitors

There are 4 reviews for Okavango Delta holiday already. Average rating is 4.8 of 5 stars.

Georg, 68 years old was there in March

Predominantly nice weather with 2 thunderstorms, partly
partly cloudy; pleasant travelling time.

Weather Rating: 4 stars – Good
Ulrike, 66 years old was there in November

From 30.10. to 09.11.2017 the temperatures rose from 32 degrees to 38 degrees. It was sunny all the time and only slightly cloudy. There was a rain shower and in the morning of 09.11.2017 a thunderstorm with a few raindrops.

Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent
Sandra, 32 years old was there in August

We had ideal conditions at the end of August 2016, lots of sun and no rain at all. This made wildlife observation very easy. Even though the landscape was a bit sparse (logically), it was very pleasant to see how the colours sprout on the banks of the canals and look like small oases. Temperatures during the day were about 32 degrees, then to the Morning Game Drive it was about 15 degrees. As soon as the sun rises, it gets warm quickly.

Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent
Guido, 51 years old was there in July

Were in the Okavango Delta, Chobe and Moremi at the end of July 2015: perfect weather, magnificent sightings and unforgettable encounters. Water level in the delta was ideal for both land and water activities. It got hot at noon, but you usually have a siesta there anyway. At night it was quite cool, we were very happy about the hot-water bottle in the tent 🙂

Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

Share your Experience and Win

We want to know: how was the weather during your Okavango Delta holiday? You can win a travel coupon of 1000 $. The price will be raffled among all submissions.